It is really shocking what the Managing Committees of some of our Samajes are upto. The sooner these "temples of Brahmoism" and their bodies are disbanded the better since they are blackening the name of the Brahmo religion.

Sarbajit Roy

<quote> Ballot box trouble in Brahmo battle POULOMI BANERJEE

The Brahmo Samaj ballot box.

The general body elections of Sadharan Brahmo Samaj, one of the oldest democratic institutions in India, ran into rough weather on Friday after two of the contestants found the lock of the ballot box open.

Elected representatives of the Samaj, a breakaway faction of Raja Rammohun Roy's Brahmo Samaj, manage six schools, colleges like Amherst Street City and Heramba Chandra, a library and women's and children's homes in the city.

"Mina Mukherjee and I visited our Bidhan Sarani office to cast our votes and found the ballot box open. We alerted the other members," said Utpal Bose on Friday. Both he and Mukherjee are contesting this year's elections.

The annual poll is being held since 1878, when the Samaj was founded by Shibnath Shastri, Umesh Chandra Dutta and others.

Polling started on December 26 and was to end on January 11. "We sent ballot papers to our 1,002 members spread across the country. They either mail their ballots or visit our office and drop it in the box," said Asim Ahmed, the assistant secretary who is contesting for the post of secretary.

The keys to the ballot box and the room where it is kept were with Sitala Prasad, the caretaker of the building for decades.

According to him, the ballot box was not locked. Secretary Samir Das insisted that the box was locked.

He also refuted Ahmed's claim that the box should not only have been locked but the lock should also have been sealed.

"The lock might have been broken by those who want to hold on to their posts. Though no salary is paid, the honorary posts carry certain perks," said Das.

"The financial strength of the Calcutta body is about Rs 88 lakh," added the secretary.

A repoll, which has never happened in the organisation's history, seems the only way out.

"The secretary will have to propose a repoll to the general committee, which will take the decision. It is the only way out for us now," said president Ashish Kumar Pain.

Some group members have sought clarification on "True Brahmos and False Brahmos" and some other incidentals.

Our position on these subjects is:-

1) Brahmoism is the highest form of Hinduism, and is so very different from what passes for Hinduism today that Brahmos consider themselves to be "beyond the pale of Hinduism" and a separate religion altogether.

2) A "True" Brahmo is either an adherent of Brahmoism to the exclusion of all other religions, or a person with at least one Brahmo parent or guardian and who has never denied his faith.

3) "False" Brahmos are those who believe that "following" the principles of Brahmoism is sufficient. These people have given Brahmoism a very bad reputation. Prominent examples of such "False" Brahmos are "Keshub Chunder Sen" and Nabobidhan "New Dispensation" who have preached and propagated Rosicrucianism and other Masonic beliefs in the guise of Brahmoism. Even today they operate secret societies to attract neophytes to their symbolic devil worship in the name of Brahmoism.

4) To distinguish Brahmoism from such fakes and charlatans, the Brahmo religion was compelled to rename itself, first as the "Adi Brahmo Samaj" and later the religious aspect was termed as "Adi Dharm". Our religion has no secrets or mysticism or initiation or rites or rituals. The creed and tenets are widely known, anyone can follow and practice them.

1. There is only One "Supreme Spirit", Author and Preserver of Existence2. There is no salvation and no way to achieve it.3. There is no scripture, revelation, creation, prophet, priest or teacher to be revered 4. There is no distinction.

Once these core principles are accepted we progress to our complete "articles of faith" which define our "Dharmic" religion

Even a cursory reading of the Bible shows the vast chasm between Brahmoism and Christianity which the Christians in our midst should be aware of.

For example the book of Genesis (1:26, 1;27 and 2:7) we are told by Christians that "God created Man in his own image from the dust of the earth". Rammohan had challenged this and we say that to the contrary "it was Man who creates (idols of) God from the dust of the earth.". Rammohan foresaw the great importance for Christians that Man is in God's image for does not Christ have the same image as his Father GOD (Corinthians).

Another example would be of the "Fatherhood of God". This is a decidedly Christian concept (inserted by Keshab Sen) antithetical to Brahmoism where the "Godhood of father" is upheld. Christianity asks us to accept that Christ is God's son and that salvation lies through God's Son and his chosen representatives on earth (namely Popery). Keshab went on to introduce more alien Christian concepts "Motherhood of God", "Kingdom of God" "Loyalty to Sovereign" etc which True Brahmos reject out of hand.

Nay, Brahmoism is to be regarded as the highest form of a much debased Hinduism, a Hinduism which has now ceased to be Brahmoism.

Rahul

On Fri, Dec 26, 2008 at 5:53 PM, Sumanta-Sandhya Niyogi wrote: > Dear Friends and Fellow-members, > Merry Christmas. On this solemn occasion we pray,"May the Almighty > God and one of his noblest sons, Lord Jesus Christ shower Their choicest > blessings on you all." Jesus Christ is such a universally loved and revered > soul that even in our Hindu-majority country there are millionms and > millions of people who virtually worship him. It gives us a wonderful > feeling to send our greetings to you on such a grand occasion. May his > sermons, the words of wisdom and benevolence, guide, protect and inspire us > all. As Brahmos,we feel proud of the way Raja Rammohun in his classic work, > The Precepts of Jesus, and Swami Vivekananda (his broadness and liberality > originated from his Brahmo background) in his Thus Spake the Christ, paid > their homage to Jesus Christ. Vivekananda wrote, "If I, as an Oriental, am > to worship Jesus of Nazareth, there is only one way left to me, that is to > worship Him as God and nothing else." This reflects our universal and > cosmopolitan tradition. Interestingly enough, it is the Brahmo Samaj which > was the first Indian non-Christian religious community to start the annual > celebration of the Chritmas and to conduct upasana on the occasion. Later > the Ramakrishna Mission follow3ed the example. > On such a holy occasion we generally make it a point to read the > Holy Bible, at least some portions, if not the whole, of it. This time one > message of Jesus that deeply touched us is that one should not evaluate what > he/she has got or could not get from God, but should find joy and happiness > from His divine presence within himself/herself all the time and the way he > protected us at different times. That will bring greatest satisfaction to > everyone and this will be as good as the key to the Kingdom of God. What a > profound message and so similar to the thoughts of our ancient sages and > Brahmo pioneers. > Regards, > Yours truly, > Sumanta and Sandhya Niyogi >

Maghotsab, the biggest annual festival of the country's Brahmo community, concluded yesterday with a two-day programme at the Brahmo Samaj Complex at 2-3-4 Lyall Street at Patuatuly in the city where a large number of people from all faiths attended.

On the main day of the festival yesterday to mark the founding of the Brahmo Samaj building 179 years back in 1830 by a group of social reformers headed by Raja Rammohon Roy, the Brahmo flag was hoisted in the morning which was followed by rendering of Usha Kirtana. Recitation of verses from the holy Upanishad, the Geeta, the Bed, the Tripitak, the Grantha Saheb, the Bible and the Quran with Bengali translation, obituary reference and recalling the contributions of the Brahmo stalwarts as well as rendering of solo and chorus Brahmo Sangeet by the artistes of "Biswabeena" led by Ustad Khairuzzaman Quiyyum were the programmes of the festival.

Besides, the main prayer session seeking divine blessings for peace, prosperity, happiness and welfare of the people throughout the world was conducted by Acharya Pranesh Samaddar.

He also delivered sermons also for peace and prosperity of the country and its people while the festival concluded with lighting of candles at night for enlightenment of the people at the Samaj Complex. The festival was inaugurated on Saturday night with the rendering of the Brahmo Sangeet with analysis at the Samaj Complex with Acharya Pranesh Samaddar narrated and analysed the inner meanings of the solo and chorus Brahmo Sangeet and devotional songs rendered by the artistes of "Biswabeena" led by Ustad Khairuzzaman Quiyyum.

The Maghotsab will also be held at Kaoraid Brahmo Samaj in Gazipur district and at the Brahmo Samaj in Tangail town on February 13 and February 20 respectively.